Dead Island - Wrong Version Released and More

by Dhruin, 2011-09-07 01:14:08

There's quite a bit of Dead Island news about, not least is the admission that the wrong version was uploaded to Steam - it seems the current NA release is actually a dev build (for example, noclip is bound to the 'y' key). From Gamasutra:

Deep Silver has acknowledged that it accidentally released an "incorrect version" of apocalyptic zombie shooter Dead Island on the North American Steam service, pledging to patch the title as quickly as possible.

Early players and reviewers have reported widespread technical problems with the title, including game freezes and crashes, graphical issues, and odd in-game behavior such as the ability to walk through walls.

"We deeply regret that an incorrect version of Dead Island was inadvertently made available to players on Steam launch in North America," Deep Silver spokesperson Aubrey Norris told Gamasutra.

Apparently the correct version will be loaded up "asap" and the international launch on Friday will be correct. Separate to this is a release-day patch with 37 fixes (presumably meant to apply to the "correct" version).

Much like its once-idyllic location, Dead Island isn't as it first appears. It's got zombies in it, but it's not a survival horror game. It's played in a first-person perspective and has shooting, but it's not a first-person shooter. And whatever that slow-motion trailer would have you believe, it's not a stirring emotional experience. Dead Island is a schlocky, open-world action role-playing game that favours grisly melee combat above all things.

Dead Island's expansive sandbox setting spreads inland, beyond the Royal Palms Resort into city and jungle environments. Its RPG nature is clear in the prominence of quests, doled out by harrowed survivors in the makeshift shelters that form quest hubs. Similarly prominent are RPG staples such as talent trees and numbers, always the numbers: levels, weapon stats, damage, and experience point scores popping out of enemies as you hack away. There are also satisfyingly vicious weapons to be improvised, upgraded, and creatively modded, and a robust online system supports the four-player co-op in which the game is best enjoyed.

Stephanie Lee: Yeah, the graphics are different, but Dead Island has a way of creating that sort of deceptively idyllic atmosphere and then drops a bunch of rabid zombies on your ass, making you fight for your life.

And, as I said, it's way more Borderlands than Fallout. Borderlands was a game about looting, and Dead Island feels similar. Lots and lots of looting normal items, and, of course, super-awesome weapons. And like Borderlands (and the games that inspired it), the weapons are color-coded based on rarity of the item. And THEN, you have the added depth of weapons durability, upgrading, and crafting a la Dead Rising.

Greg Miller: WHATEVER. Fallout was all about looting. I looted so many boxes. So much cola.